Euphorbia plant named ‘Orange Grove’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Euphorbia amygdaloides  plant characterized by deep green leaves with red new growth and stems, large chartreuse inflorescences that turn orange in the summer, and a rhizomatous habit.

Botanical denomination: Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Rubra’×Euphorbiaamygdaloides var. robbiae.

Variety designation: ‘Orange Grove’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of a hardy,suffrutescent perennial of the genus Euphorbia, known by the cultivarname of ‘Orange Grove’. The genus Euphorbia is a member of the familyEuphorbiaceae.

The new cultivar originated as a garden cross between a Euphorbiaamygdaloides ‘Rubra’, an unpatented plant as the seed parent, andEuphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae, an unpatented plant, as the pollenparent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This new cultivar is characterized by:

-   -   1) Red tinted new leaves growing into deep green leaves.    -   2) Red purple stems.    -   3) Rhizomatous habit like pollen parent, Euphorbia amygdaloides        var. robbiae.    -   4) Large inflorescence size.    -   5) Bracts, which turn from lime green to orange with maturity.    -   6) Excellent vigor, rapid growth.

Asexual propagation by tip cuttings using standard propagationtechniques with terminal shoots as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that theforegoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and areestablished and transmitted through succeeding propagations. This newcultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (cuttings).Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the originalplant. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations inenvironment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The photograph shows a three-year-old Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘OrangeGrove’ growing in the ground in May in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Euphorbia based onobservations of two-year-old specimens grown in the ground in full sununder typical outdoor conditions in the trial garden in Canby, Oreg.Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from ahigh of 95 degrees F. in August to 32 degrees F. in January. Normalrainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions areall based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.

-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—Evergreen perennial, flowering on one year old stems.        -   Form.—Upright and rhizomatous.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 7 to 9.        -   Size.—30 cm to 40 cm tall to top of the foliage and 30 cm            wide.        -   Vigor.—Excellent.-   Stem:    -   -   Type.—Upright, tufted stems which are leafy the first year            and flowering the second year.        -   Size without inflorescence.—Grows to 30 cm tall and 6 mm            wide.        -   Internode spacing.—Variable, further apart at base of the            stem, 2 cm to 5 mm.        -   Surface.—Villous.        -   Color.—Greyed Purple 187B.-   Leaf:    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Arrangement.—Rosette or alternate.        -   Shape.—Oblanceolate.        -   Venation.—Pinnate.        -   Margins.—Entire, slightly revolute.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Blade size.—5 cm to 6.3 cm long and 1.7 cm to 2 cm wide.        -   Texture.—Leathery, soft, villous on bottom side, glabrous on            top side.        -   Petiole size.—2 mm to 12 mm long and 2 mm wide.        -   Petiole color.—Yellow Green 145A to B on top with red,            Greyed Purple 183C on underside on new leaves.        -   Leaf color.—Topside — Mature leaves are deep green, closest            to Green 137A but darker. New leaves are Green 137A with a            brown blush, Brown 200B. Bottom side — Mature leaves are            closest to Yellow Green 147A. New leaves are maroon, Greyed            Purple 187B.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Terminal pseudocyme, pseudoumbellate at tip.        -   Number of pedicels.—20 to 30 per pseudocyme.        -   Peduncle.—Height — 17 cm on edges of clump to 28 cm in            middle of the clump. Diameter — 5 to 6 mm. Color — Greyed            Purple 187B. Surface texture — Villous. Leaves — At base of            each pedicel, oblong, from 35 mm long and 12 mm wide.        -   Pedices.—Length — 5 cm. Surface — Sparsely villous. Color —            Greyed Purple 183B.-   Bracts:    -   -   Number of bracts per pedicel.—1.        -   Description.—Connate perfoliate, two-lobed.        -   Size.—30 mm wide and 23 mm high.        -   Color.—Chartreuse, Yellow Green 144A on edges and 154B            towards the middle, with maturity they turn orange, Greyed            Orange 172B.-   Cyathium:    -   -   Description.—2, on stalks from nectary in middle of the            bract, each bract cup containing one stalked female,            surrounded by a nectary and with five groups of males.            Cyathia with 4 prominent lime green nectar glands (crescent            shaped).        -   Bract cup description.—Bowl-shaped, 2 lobed, 8 mm to 9 mm            wide and 7 mm deep, chartreuse in color, Yellow Green 145A.        -   Description of nectar glands.—4 prominent, crescent shaped,            lime green (Yellow Green 144A), as a unit they are 7 mm            across and 4 mm wide.        -   Pistil.—Glabrous, 4 mm long, Yellow Green 144A overall,            style 2 mm long.        -   Bloom period.—April to June in Canby, Oreg.        -   Fragrance.—None.-   Fruit: None formed. The plant is sterile, no viable fruit is formed.-   Seed: None.-   Disease problems: None observed. Most Euphorbia have problems with    root rot (if grown in heavy, wet soils). No mildew has been observed    in 4 years on the mother plant of the new variety. No root rot    problems have been observed.-   Pest problems: No pest problems have been observed outdoors with    spider mites or mealy bugs, the most likely problems.

COMPARISONS TO SIMILAR EUPHORBIA

Compared to its pollen parent, Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae,which it most closely resembles, Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Orange Grove’has darker green leaves with red new growth rather than green newgrowth. The flowering stems are red or red tinged rather than green andthe flowers are larger and more colorful. They both are rhizomatous andtolerate sun or shade in almost any soil with good drainage.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Euphorbia amygdaloides plantsubstantially as shown and described.